Ready for Veggie? More and More Vegetarian Options Are Catching on in The U.S. And Worldwide.

As more and more people are becoming health-conscious in their dining habits, vegetarian and meatless options are growing in their popularity. And, with Vegetarian Awareness Month being celebrated in the U.S. in October of every year, the idea of increasing the number and quality of vegetarian or “veggie” menu options is catching on.

Hard Rock Cafe, as an example, is doing a vegetarian limited time offer (also known as an LTO) with a number of veggie options. Last year, the global chain included such items on its menu as a Quinoa Burger, Southwest Spiced Tofu and a Black Bean Wrap.

For 2016, the brand is doing even more to celebrate, including their very own cauliflower burger with a patty of cauliflower, goat cheese, egg, garlic and bread crumbs, all topped with zucchini, squash, monterey jack cheese, arugula and garlic aioli.

It’s delivered to diners’ table served on a toasted brioche bun.

Even if you’re a full-blooded paleo-eating carnivore, you have to admit that sounds pretty tasty.

But Hard Rock Cafe isn’t stopping there. How about trying their specialty meatless (cauliflower again) “wings” served with blue cheese, celery and carrot sticks. These buffalo-style wings taste just like the meatless variety and offer a healthier options for calorie conscious (or just regular health conscious) diners.

The best part of choosing veggie menu options these days is that the options are only getting better and better. Top chefs in test kitchens around the world are devising innovative ways to make vegetarian options taste and “feel” like their meaty alternatives, while still allowing you to feel good about each and every bite.

If you’re interested in veggie options at your favorite restaurant, you should let them know. Often, restaurants are hesitant to put these items on their menus because they aren't sure the demand is there to make it financially viable. However, if enough people are interested, there’s a good chance that you may see at least one veggie option on your favorite menu in the near future.

Have you got a favorite veggie-based item that you love? Let us know in the comments.